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March 4
1800s *1884 - National League owners agree to provide two separate team benches to minimize fraternizing among opposing players during games. *1886 - The National League meets and adopts the stolen base and the four foot by seven foot pitcher's box. But the NL retains seven balls for a walk and rejects the American Association rule giving a batter first base on a hit by a pitch. *1891 - Clarence Arthur (Dazzy) Vance is born in Orient, Iowa. At age 31, Vance will become the dominant National League pitcher of the 1920s. After a decade in the minors Vance joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1922. Named National League MVP in 1924, he pitched a no-hitter the next year, led the NL in wins twice, in earned run average three times, and is the only pitcher to top the NL in strikeouts seven consecutive seasons. Vance will be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers Association of America in 1955, with 205 votes on 251 ballots. 1900s-1920 *1907 - A judgment of $52,000 is awarded to the Baltimore club from Brooklyn. When Baltimore left the National League in 1903, Brooklyn agreed to pay $40,000 for the franchise but never did. The award includes interest. *1912 - Ground is broken on a new ballpark in Brooklyn, New York. The $650,000 ballpark is scheduled to be called Washington Park, but will be renamed for Brooklyn Dodgers president Charles Ebbets. Ebbets Field will open officially on April 9, 1913 and will serve as the Dodgers home until 1957. *1913 - The New York Yankees become the first major league team to conduct spring training outside of the United States, when they begin the spring in Bermuda, where is projected a series of exhibition games. *1919 - New York Giants manager John McGraw sells left handed pitcher Slim Sallee to the Cincinnati Reds, but the team will buy him back next year. *1921 - Twelve-year Boston Red Sox veteran outfielder Harry Hooper is traded to the Chicago White Sox for outfielders Nemo Leibold and Shano Collins. *1925 - John Montgomery (Monte) Ward dies in Augusta, Georgia, just a day after his 65th birthday. During his illustrious career in the majors, Ward will hit a .371 batting average twice, will win 40-plus games as a pitcher twice, including the second perfect game in baseball history, and will be the captain and manager of the first and original New York Giants. Ward will gain election to the Hall of Fame in 1964. 1930s 1940s *1941 - Grace Comiskey, widow of J. Louis Comiskey, is elected president of the Chicago White Sox. Her husband died on July 18, 1939. *1944 - The woeful Philadelphia Phillies announce their new nickname—the Blue Jays. The winning entry in the contest was submitted by a Mrs. Elizabeth Crooks, and was chosen over a number of names ranging from Daisies to Stinkers. Team president Carpenter says he hopes to have the farm system identified by the same blue color, with the Wilmington club called the Blue Rocks and possibly the New Bradford team as the Blue Wings. The Blue Jays will be the unofficial team name for 1944-45 but abandoned in 1946, though the team will still occasionally be referred to in newspaper accounts as the Blue Jays through 1949. Ms. Crooks wins a $100 war bond and a season ticket to the Blue Jays. *1948 - Stan Musial ends his holdout with the St. Louis Cardinals and signs a one-year contract for $31,000. Musial, who in 1947 batted .312 with 19 home runs and 95 RBI, will led the National League with a .376 batting average and 131 RBI in 1948. 1950s 1960s *1967 - Bullet Joe Rogan dies in Kansas City, Missouri, at age 77. One of the greatest pitchers in Negro league baseball, Rogan threw a devastating fastball which he complemented it with a dizzying array of other pitches. He also played the outfield when he wasn't pitching, and in 1922 led the Negro National League with 16 home runs. Rogan will receive Hall of Fame honors in 1998. 1970s-1900s *1972 - The Texas Rangers, formerly the Washington Senators, trade former Cy Young Award winner Denny McLain to the Oakland Athletics for two minor league pitchers. McLain, who lost a league-leading 22 games pitching for the Senators in 1971, will last only five starts in Oakland before being traded to the Atlanta Braves for Orlando Cepeda. *1976 - The San Francisco Giants are sold to businessmen Bob Lurie and Bud Herseth for an estimated $8 million. Lurie promises to keep the Giants in the Bay Area despite dwindling attendance. *1984 - Two outstanding defensive players, shortstop Pee Wee Reese and catcher Rick Ferrell, are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Special Veterans Committee. Reese hit .269 in 16 seasons with the Dodgers while Ferrell batted .281 with just 28 home runs in 18 seasons for the Browns, Red Sox, and Senators. *1994 - Michael Jordan comes to bat for the first time in a Chicago White Sox uniform. Playing in a spring training game, Jordan taps back to Texas Rangers pitcher Darren Oliver, who tags out the former National Basketball Association star. Jordan will eventually give up baseball after one season and return to the NBA. 2000s *2000 - The Boston Red Sox sign Cuban first baseman Juan Díaz, who was declared a free agent after the Los Angeles Dodgers illegally signed him. *2002 - Cleveland Indians center fielder Alex Escobar will have reconstructive knee surgery, after he crashed into an outfield wall, and will miss the entire season. Escobar, who was acquired in the Roberto Alomar trade, was once a highly touted Mets prospect. His stock has fallen considerably in recent years, due to injury problems. *2004 - Commissioner Bud Selig announces major league baseball will celebrate "Jackie Robinson Day" in every ballpark on April 15, the anniversary of the debut the first black player in MLB history. Robinson's uniform number "42" was retired for all time in a ceremony at Shea Stadium in April 1997 to mark the 50th anniversary of his achievement. *2006 - At Tokyo Dome, South Korea beat China 10–1 in the inaugural World Baseball Classic and advanced to the second round of the 16-nation tournament. Lee Seung-yeop homered twice, drove in five runs and finished with four hits for South Korea. Lee, who holds the Asian record of 56 home runs in a season, signed with the Yomiuri Giants of the Pacific League after spending two seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines. Meanwhile, Japan mauled Taiwan, 14–3, behind Hitoshi Tamura's slugging, giving the Asian hosts a spot in the next round of the World Baseball Classic. Tamura hit a three-run home run (his second homer of the series) and Tsuyoshi Nishioka drove in two runs. Taiwan and China are both 0-2 and will face each other tomorrow. Then Japan will play South Korea, although both teams will advance. Births *1884 - Red Murray, outfielder (d. 1958) *1888 - Jeff Pfeffer, pitcher (d. 1972) *1891 - Dazzy Vance, Hall of Fame pitcher (d. 1961) *1897 - Lefty O'Doul, All-Star outfielder (d. 1969) *1902 - Emmett McCann, iinfielder (d. 1937) *1917 - Clyde McCullough, All-Star catcher (d. 1982) *1918 - Mel Queen, pitcher (d. 1982) *1926 - Cass Michaels, All-Star infielder (d. 1982) *1939 - Jack Fisher, pitcher *1946 - Danny Frisella, pitcher (d. 1977) *1948 - Tom Grieve, outfielder *1951 - Sam Perlozzo, player and manager *1959 - Mike Brown, pitcher *1964 - Tom Lampkin, catcher *1968 - Brian Hunter, infielder *1968 - Giovanni Carrara, pitcher *1969 - Lee Tinsley, outfielder *1974 - Tommy Phelps, pitcher *1976 - Hiram Bocachica, outfielder Deaths *1925 - Monte Ward, Hall of Fame payer and manager (b. 1860) *1962 - George Mogridge, pitcher (b. 1899) *1967 - Bullet Joe Rogan, Hall of Fame Negro Leagues pitcher (b. 1889) *1972 - Watty Clark, pitcher (b. 1902)